CHILD PROTECTION WEEK

26 May 1998

COSATU supports the call made by the Minister of Welfare Cde Fraser
Moleketi that this week become "Child Protection Week".  We support
the steps that the government is taking in order to end the abuse of
children in our country.

The campaign seeks to raise awareness among communities and child
abusers that society has a role to play in protecting children's
rights.  It is a constitutional and fundamental right that children
should be protected and raised in an environment free of any kind of
abuse.

The level of child abuse in South Africa is extremely high.  In fact
South Africa is believed to have the highest rate of child abuse in
the world. It is a clear indication that some members of the society
do not respect the importance of the child.  A child is a pride of the
country.  A child's innocence, purity and dignity should be respected
and protected. Children have a right to enjoy their childhood.

South Africa is a country proud of its new constitution that respects
human rights.  COSATU believes that this respect should be reflected
in the way in which we protect our children so that they grow up in a
society free of the fear of being raped abused or molested.

Child abuse cannot be a yardstick for measuring the level of
unemployment and poverty.  It is unacceptable that in most cases when
people are addressing the causes of child abuse, they attribute that
to the high levels of unemployment and poverty.  COSATU believes that
those people who abuse children have lost their morals and values and
therefore do not deserve to stay with normal people.  Their place is
in jail.

COSATU calls on all its members to actively protect our children from
these monsters which harm them.  We also call on communities to work
together in bringing an end to child abuse and assist the Child
Protection Unit in putting the perpetrators behind bars.

Nowetu Mpati
COSATU Head of Communications

Tel:    + 27 + 11 + 339-4911
Fax:    + 27 + 11 + 339-2281
E-mail: nowetu@cosatu.org.za